No. 19 Huskies Host Butler, Tuesday In Hartford
HARTFORD – The No. 19 UConn men's basketball team (13-5, 5-2 BIG EAST) is back at home on Tuesday night when it returns to the XL Center for the first time in over a month to host Butler (8-10, 1-6 BIG EAST) and conclude the season series with the Bulldogs. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and will air on FS1 with Jason Benetti and Bill Raftery on the call.
Tuesday night is Jersey Night at the XL Center. Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite UConn jersey from any era.
The Huskies are coming off a tough setback on campus on Saturday, seeing a 28-game home winning streak snapped in a five-point defeat to Creighton. Butler was last in action on Jan. 14 when it got off the schneid with its first BIG EAST win over Seton Hall. Connecticut has won all 10 prior meetings with Butler, including a 78-74 victory early this season in Indianapolis.
Alex Karaban led the Huskies with 21 points in that win at BU and has led Connecticut across the board this season, posting averages of 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 blocked shots per game. Karaban ranks among the top-15 in the BIG EAST in every major offensive category including his 47.5 field goal percentage and 41.5 percent mark from 3-point range.
Solo Ball is second on the squad with 13.7 points per game and ranks top-20 in the nation with a 44.6 3-point field goal percentage. Hassan Diarra is averaging 11.7 points and a league-best 7.9 assists during conference play and is coming off a 15-point, seven-assist, six-rebound performance against Creighton on Saturday.
This year Butler is 8-10 with a 1-6 record in BIG EAST play. The Bulldogs were last in action on Jan. 15 when they notched their first league win over Seton Hall. Jahmyl Telfort (15.2 ppg), Pierre Brooks (15.1 ppg) and Patrick McCaffery (13.0 ppg) score in double-figures for the Bulldogs. In UConn's visit to Hinkle on Dec. 21, Alex Karaban scored 21 points and the Huskies led wire-to-wire in a 78-74 triumph.
The Huskies have won their last 14 contests inside the XL Center and is off to a 4-0 start in Hartford this season. Following Tuesday night's tilt the Huskies are back in action on Saturday for a primetime showdown at Xavier.
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